GHANA'S VIBRANT CULTURES: The modern country of Ghana gained its independence in 1957. It takes its name from an ancient African kingdom. The territory that makes up modern Ghana includes areas that were part of the old British Gold Coast Colony on the coast, parts of German Togoland to the east, parts of the former Ashanti Empire in the middle, and the predominantly Muslim Northern Territories to the north. Ghana has a democratically elected parliament and president, a market-oriented economy, and an active press. Ghana is a multiethnic society whose citizens speak many languages like Twi, Fante, Ga, Ewe, and Dagbani. English is the country's official language. Though the early states like the Fante on the coast, the Dagomba in the north, and the Ashanti Empire are gone, many chiefly traditions continue. Modern Chiefs and Queen Mothers have new roles in promoting the welfare of their people within the larger context of the modern country of Ghana. Ghana's craft traditions have an international audience. The Ashanti Kente cloth woven in Bonwire, a village near Kumasi, the former chiefly city of the Ashanti Empire, has been adopted by many people of African descent the world over. It sometimes appears as an element in high fashion. Kente comes in many patterns; each distinct geometric element has its own individual meaning. We've used one of these patterns for our wrappers. Other fabrics like Adinkra cloth are created for special occasions. Adinkra is produced by block printing special designs arranged in meaningful patterns. We adopted one of the Adinkra designs for our chocolate molds. Many other traditional crafts are produced as well, including wood carving and metal casting. Historically the region produced enormous quantities of gold. Gold remains important in today's economy, the largest mine producing over 1 million ounces per year. Weights to measure gold were made in the shape of diverse and fantastical forms cast in brass, as were containers to hold the gold. Craftsmen are still making copies of the old gold weights and other forms in brass. We include some of these in our gift packages. Look for them in our PRODUCTS section.